Background Originally founded in Germany during the 1930s, Lidl became a discount retailer in 1973 following the huge success of Aldi. It is now bigger than its rival with more than 10,000 stores worldwide, 580 of which are in the UK.

The visit 10.30am, 29 January, Sunderland.

What it sells Groceries and miscellaneous items.

First impressions Nice and calm. A trip to a major supermarket can often be a stressful experience, so the relative quiet of this Lidl store with no music or announcements blaring through the speakers was a refreshing change.

Near the entrance was a small bakery which filled the shop with the smell of freshly baked bread and was a nice point of difference between Lidl and its competitors.

There were few staff present in the store, just one stacking shelves and another working at the till, but there were no gaps on the shelves and the shop was clean and tidy.

What were the staff like? Few and far between. After passing a member of staff near the front door I didn't see another until I reached the checkout, but that wasn't really a problem given that everything was well laid out and easy to find.

Best bargain A box of 15 275ml bottles of Grolsch was on special offer at £8.99.

What does it charge? Tin of own brand tomato soup 24p; tin of own brand baked beans 30p; 400g pack of Bourbon biscuits 49p; pack of 10 eggs 85p; 2l bottle of own brand cola 39p.

Where can I pay? There were five tills at the front of the store. Just one was in operation on this visit, but the checkout assistant scanned items at an astonishing speed, meaning I was at the front of the queue and out of the store in no time.

Is loyalty rewarded? There is no loyalty scheme available.

Lasting impressions It was a surprisingly good experience. A misconception I had going into the store was that I would find a random selection of known brands inside, but Walkers crisps, Heinz ketchup, Colgate toothpaste and plenty of other big names were present and competitively priced alongside the obscure foreign brands for which these chains are known.

There was a bit of a jumble sale feel to the centre of the store with fruit and vegetables set next to panel heaters and tubes of floor sealant. But I can see the attraction in having a rummage around an ever-changing and seemingly random bunch of special offers on each visit.

Background While this German chain has roots going back more than 100 years, Aldi as we know it was born in 1946 when brothers Karl and Theo Albrecht took control of their mother's convenience store and created a group of low-cost food shops. Their first branch in the UK opened in Birmingham in 1990. It now boasts more than 400 stores here and a further 7,000 across 17 other countries.

The visit 11.15am, 29 January, Sunderland.

What it sells Groceries and miscellaneous items.

First impressions While there were far fewer branded products on offer in Aldi than Lidl, a significant amount of the shop was devoted to fresh fruit and veg, all with very reasonable prices. Staff in the midst of restocking the shelves gave the shop a rather messy feel with empty cardboard boxes everywhere, making navigating a trolley round the aisles difficult.

The chiller cabinets at the back of the store had a fascinating range of German and other European meats, as well as a large cheese selection. Wensleydale and cranberry cheese is not something I'd normally associate with a discount supermarket.

What were the staff like? Busy. There were plenty of them about but they seemed to be rushing around doing numerous jobs at once, but luckily everything was easy to find.

Best bargain While it wasn't yet in stock on my visit, there was an advert in the window for a rather nifty 19" HD ready LCD TV with built-in DVD player for £119.99 arriving later in the week, complete with three-year warranty.

What does it charge? Tin of own brand tomato soup 48p; tin of own brand baked beans 30p; 300g pack of Bourbon biscuits 34p; pack of 10 eggs 99p; 2l bottle of own brand cola 39p.

Where can I pay? Of the four tills in the store only one was manned, despite the shop being rather busy. Another member of staff was called and the queue got moving again. As with Lidl, this branch operates an unusual checkout system where all items must be placed back in your trolley after being scanned, then packed at a counter after you've paid.

Is loyalty rewarded? There is no loyalty card scheme.

Lasting impressions Aldi played up more to the traditional view of discount supermarkets with a bit of a dingy store and too much mess on the shop floor: one aisle was half blocked by a giant cardboard box full of stock needing to be shelved while another had packs of kitchen wipes strewn across the floor.

Overall rating 6/10.

Adam's verdict It's very easy to act like a supermarket snob on the subject of discount supermarkets. But from the items sampled there is very little difference between Aldi's and Lidl's products and the discount range at major supermarkets, apart from cheaper prices.

Aldi had the stronger range of fruit and veg, but Lidl's inclusion of more branded products meant you could mix between their own products and leading brands. The range is smaller than a traditional supermarket, but it seemed very easy to do a basic shop here and top up at a bigger supermarket or local retailer later on.

It's easy to see where costs have been cut: neither shop offered baskets and the checkout system might not be to some people's taste. However, I can't imagine anyone bemoaning the lack of in-store music. A significant number of products were the same price in both stores, but it tended to be Lidl that came out cheapest overall.

Last week

An experiment in throwing open Store Wars to our readers had mixed results – we had great reviews written by readers, and some commenters joined in with praise for the stores they had chosen.

"It's the most brilliant place – truly an alternative supermarket where I can feel confident knowing that everything is organic and top quality. Not only sells beautiful fresh vegetables and fruit but also a wide range of flours, pulses, spices, cereals, dried fruit as well as also cleaning products and toiletries."

"Chorlton has many great independents including Out of the Blue fishmongers (also do great sushi – they have a guy making it in front of you) and the wonderful wonderful Frost's Butchers (suppliers to all the great local eateries)."

Some wondered why we were reviewing stores they had never been to, but others did step in and name their favourite independents. For example Atombowl28 said:

"Amy Lous in Godalming. Much better than nearby Waitrose or Sainsbury's, better prices, and really really friendly. A pleasure to go food shopping rather than a chore."

Let us know which of today's stores you favour, or leave a comment if you are not a fan of either or think another store offers better choice or prices.